Matt Taylor is a bit anxious but otherwise ready as another opportunity for his Alexander Central High girls arrives.
When the 25th annual Catawba Valley Classic begins on Tuesday, Taylor’s Cougars will wade into unchartered waters as the tournament’s No. 2 seed.
So far this season, Alexander Central has been a team on the rise. After winning six games in Taylor’s first season as head coach and nine last season, the Cougars are off to a 7-2 start.
They’ll go for their eighth win at 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, playing the last of four opening round games at Catawba Valley Community College when they battle No. 7 seed St. Stephens (3-8).
In a three-day tournament that may not have a clear-cut favorite – or at least not one as clear as past years – the up-and-coming Cougars see a chance to keep growing.
Could they win the Classic?
“Our players believe it,” said Taylor of having a shot at the title. “I don’t know what we’re doing at Alexander Central this year. …
“It seems like every time you do something positive, it’s for the first time in forever.”
Three years ago, the Cougars went 0-24. In the last 27 years, they’ve won five or fewer games 16 times.
But in nine games this season, Alexander Central’s only losses are to established girls’ powers North Iredell (by 12 in Taylorsville) and Freedom (by 13 in Morganton).
With a field of at least four others that could reasonably be expected to contend for the title –Hickory, Newton-Conover, Fred T. Foard and South Caldwell – the Classic will offer its own set of challenges.
“It wouldn’t particularly shock me to see any of the five win it,” Taylor said. “I think what we’ve set as a realistic goal is playing in the 7 p.m. game on Thursday (the title game) and see what happens.
“We’ve said ‘Let’s get to that game and then we’ll just play.’”
Opposite the Cougars in their bracket are Newton-Conover (7-2, No. 3 seed and defending tournament champion) and No. 6 seed Fred T. Foard (5-5), which Alexander Central beat by three at Foard on Dec. 16.
Top-seeded Hickory (9-1) and fourth-seeded South Caldwell (5-3) are in the other bracket.
Alexander Central’s first game of 2012 is a trip to powerful Hickory on Jan. 3 for a Northwestern 3A-4A game.
The Cougars wouldn’t mind a tip off against the Red Tornadoes a few days earlier.
“Until somebody can consistently beat Hickory, it’s their tournament to lose,” said Taylor. “I don’t know it’s as clear-cut as in the past, but they are No. 1 on the girls’ side and someone has to beat them.
“We would love to be that group but you gotta do it on the court.”
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